Shoe-fastener.



No. 884,828.` PATENTED A8814, 1908;

v I. I. WAKEIIBLD.

SHOE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED IULY18,'1804,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ITOHN PORTER WAKEFIELD, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T GEORGE B. LOMBARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I

` SHOE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Appiication fried Juiy 13, 1904. serial No. 216,313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PORTER VAKE- FiELD, of Vinthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

A shoe fastener has heretofore been made consisting of a solid plate or sheet of metal shaped like a shoe sole having projecting from it either in one or both directions, triangular teeth, some of which are bent up and some down, and all of which lie along the edge of the plate. In shaping these teeth the plate is at first serrated along its edge so that the teeth project laterally therefrom after which they are bent at right angles to the plane of the plate thus forming a substantially smooth edge to the plate. This form of fastener has two serious faults, one of which is that as the plate is solid, that is to say, as it covers substantially the entire sole of the shoe upon which it is to be employed, it weights the shoe unnecessarily and prevents it from being as flexible as it should be, and also as the triangular teeth in fastening the sole and upper together lie with their side faces substantially parallel with the, edges of the sole, they do not yield readily as the sole is bent, and in so far as they do yield their side edges tend to cut the leather as they work in it.

My present invention relates to an improvement upon this structure and it consists in a skeleton fastener or metallic strip, preferably of substantially the shape of the sole and having teeth projecting therefrom at right angles to the surface of the strip. As shown the teeth are so cut from the strip and bent with relation thereto that their line of bending is across the sole. Thus as the sole is bent they yield easily rendering the sole iieXible not only because of the narrowness of the strip to which they are attached, but also because the line on which each tooth is bent is crosswise of the sole and serves as a hinge on which the tooth may yield as necessity requires without cutting the leather.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a skeleton fastener of the character described, in which the teeth project in one direction only therefrom. Fig. 2 is a short piece of the fastener showing teeth projecting in both directions from the metal strip. tion of a shoe held together by a fastener of the character shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional detailV showing the operation of the fastener shown in Fig. 2. F ig.l 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

A is the strip of metal, B being teeth projecting therefrom. As will be seen from the drawings, these teeth are substantially triangular in shape and are cut from the side of the strip and are then bent at right angles thereto so that their bending angle b lies in a line crosswise of the width of the strip.

When the fastener shown in Figs. l, 3, and 4, is put into use, the shoe being lasted in the ordinary manner, a channel C of ordinary construction is preferably formed on the under side of the sole D, the sole is laid onto the lasted shoe and the points of such a fastener as is shown in Fig. l are set into the channel and by means of a press of ordinary construction the fastener is pressed down through the sole D, the points pressed through the sole D, the upper E, and the inner sele F, the points b1 of the teeth B being clenched against .the last and lying as shown in F ig. 4, and the strip A lyingin the channel C. After this the lip c of the channel is folded over and pasted down in the usual way to conceal the strip A, lf, however, it is desired to use such a fastener as is indicated in Fig. 2, the fastener is preferably laid against the inside of the outer sole D and attached thereto by pressure, and the points b1 of the teeth clenched in the channel C, after which the lip c may be pasted down as before. The sole D with its fastener is then applied by pressure to the upper E and inner sole F, and the upper teeth clenched as before against the last. Variations of this mode of use will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It will, be noted that when this fastener is used the teeth or prongs will have a tendency to yield, as the shoe is bent, about their bending lines l) so that the sole is rendered limber and free to yield as the wearer bends his foot, without any especial exertion on his part. Moreover, there is no undue tendency on the part of these prongs arranged in this way along the strip to cut the sole as is the case where prongs are placed with their faces parallel with the side of the shoe, or in other Words, at substantially right angles to the Fig. 8 is a cross sec` position shown in Fig. 2, so that the use of this fastener will not shorten the life of the sole.

Vhile I have shown this fastener made in the form of a sole shaped skeleton, it is evident that it may be made in a continuous straight strip like that shown in Fig. 2, so as to form a continuous fastener which may be driven by a rolling or other process through the sole and finally cut when it has attached the entire sole to the shoe, or such part thereof as may be desired, or it may be made in strips of proper length to form a fastener for a shoe, and then shaped to the form of the sole,

f my invention consisting in a fastener' complete in itself and comprising a strip having a large number of prongs projecting therefrom, which strip is of sufficient length to form a single fastener for the entire sole, or so much thereof as it is desired shall be fastened. This latter qualification is merely intended to meet those cases in which it is found desirable to secure the heel portion of the shoe by a different fastener from that which attaches f the front portion, or vice versa.

It will be seen that the strip A may be made quite narrow with parallel edges and the teeth cut from each edge (if they are to be bent in both directions) or from one edge only, as thought best. The narrower the strip the better so long as it is sufficiently strong for the purpose.

By cutting the teeth lengthwise of the strip so that when bent the bending line is at substantially right angles to the lengthof the strip, the strip being 'flexible and thin, the strip. takes up practically no room between the soles or between the channel lip and the sole, and hence leaves no unpleasant ridge to walk upon, and at the same time the teeth by reason of their line of bending yield easily to each motion of the foot, their line of bending being substantially parallel with the line of bending of the foot. In this my fastener differs materially from one in which the prongs or teeth run parallel with the length of the strip, and hence have no such ability to yield, and moreover have a tendency as they work in the leather, to cut the leather and consequently weaken the edge of the sole, even perhaps to the extent of nearly detaching a strip around the edge of the sole from the rest of the sole.

I am aware of Letters Patent to Nilsson, No. 515,156, also the German patent to Mayer, No. 54,156, Nov. 6, 1890, and disclaim the inventions described in each. My device is not a double prong box fastener, the length of which is necessarily limited not only by the use to which it is put, but by the peculiar construction which only provides for one or more prongs at each extremity of the fastener, nor is my device an endless fastener having prongs, the plane of which is parallel with the plane of the length of the fastener, a'll of said prongs being in the same plane nor is my device ornamental in character. On the contrary my device is a fastener having teeth projecting in planes at right angles to the plane of the length of the strip, the line of junction between each tooth and said strip being substantially at right angles to the length of the strip, each tooth having its root in the strip and projecting in a direction above or below what may be termed the surface of the strip, no teeth extending in both directions as is the casein the German patent above referred` to. Moreover these teeth are constructed to pierce at least two pieces of leather to form an attachment between them and when made with prongs projecting in both directions is intended to be placed between the two soles of the shoe to attach them to each other and to the upper and so form the single attachment by which the parts of the shoe are combined and leaving the shoe io be finished by attaching the heel etc. in the ordinary way and for this purpose it may have its ends oined so as to form a sole-shaped skeleton fastener which shall be light and flexible and form a strong, economical fastener for the shoe.

l/Vhat l claim as my invention is:

1. The shoe fastener above described comprising a flexible metallic strip having teeth projecting therefrom and integral therewith and constructed from the edge thereof, the line of connection between each tooth arid said strip being at substantially right angles to the length of the strip whereby a light flexible fastener is formed comprised of teeth arranged to yield as the sole bends upon lines at right angles to the junction between said strip and said teeth, as described.

2. The shoe fastener above described comprising a flexible, metallic stri having a plurality of teeth out from the er ge thereof and projecting from said edge at right angles to the surface of the strip, the line of junction between each tooth and said strip being substantially at right langles to the edge of the strip, and certain of said teeth projecting from the upper surface of the said strip, the rest of the teeth projecting from the under surface as set forth.

3. The shoe fastener above described comprising a iiexible strip of metal having a plurality of teeth projecting from its edge at right angles to its surface, the line of junction between each tooth and said strip being substantially at right angles to the length of the strip.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto set my name this 11th day of June, 1904,

JOHN PORTER WAKEFIELD. Witnesses:

GEORGE O. G. CoALE, M. E. FLAHERTY. 

